VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MAY 25  15:24                 NA discusses amended draft laws on medical check-up and treatment, cinematography Continuing the working agenda of the 15th National Assembly (NA)’s third session, deputies on May 25 morning discussed in groups the supplementary assessment of the implementation of the socio-economic development plans and the state budget in 2021 and in the first months of 2022, the 2020 State budget balance, and the practice of thrift and wastefulness prevention in 2021. The implementation of the 14th NA’s Resolution 42/2017/QH14, dated June 21, 2017, on piloting the settlement of bad debts of credit institutions and the extension of the time limit for application of all provisions of this resolution were also tabled. In the afternoon, the National Assembly will listen to Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long’s report on the draft Law on Medical Examination and Treatment (amended), and a verification report on this draft law delivered by Chairwoman of the NA Committee for Social Affairs Nguyen Thuy Anh. The making of the draft law aims to address shortcomings and limitations of the 2009 Law on Medical Examination and Treatment and solve new arising problems to develop and improve the quality of health services. The draft law includes 10 chapters and 102 articles, one more chapter than the existing one. Another molnupiravir drug authorised for use in COVID-19 treatment Molnupiravir Stella 200mg, a drug produced and registered by Stellapharm J.V.Co. Ltd., has been authorised by the Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) for the domestic treatment of COVID-19. This is the fourth Molnupiravir-based drug produced in Vietnam to be authorised for use in the country. The DAV orders manufacturers to adhere to documents registered with the Ministry of Health; coordinate with treatment facilities to strictly comply with current regulations on prescription drugs, monitor the safety, effectiveness, and unwanted effects of drugs on Vietnamese people, as well as compile reports according to regulations. At the same time, the DAV also requested local departments of health notify medical examination and treatment facilities, medical staff, and drug suppliers in the area to inform patients of the benefits and risks when using Molnupiravir, including treatments, as well as alternatives for Molnupiravir in the treatment of COVID-19. In addition, it requires units to strengthen monitoring, supervision and detection of cases of adverse drug reactions (if any), to send reports to the National Center for Drug Information and Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring (Hanoi) or Regional Center for Drug Information and Adverse Drug reaction monitoring (Ho Chi Minh City), according to regulations. Rains to continue in northern mountainous region The northern mountainous region will continue to see widespread rains on coming days, with rainfalls of 20-50 mm, even over 50 mm, forecast for some areas on May 25, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting. Shower is also expected in the Central Highlands and southern regions until May 29, coupled with whirlwinds, lightning, hails and strong winds, as well as risks of flooding and landslides. The northern area of the East Sea, including the waters around Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, and the western area of the sea’s southern part, including the waters around Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, are expected to have heavy rains and strong wind. Hanoi and other northern provinces were inundated following heavy rains on May 23 and 24 that had caused human and property losses. As of 5pm on May 24, three lost their lives in flash flood triggered by downpours in the mountainous provinces of Tuyen Quang and Hoa Binh, and four others were injured in Tuyen Quang. Up to 253 houses in Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Yen Bai, Dien Bien, Lao Cai, Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Cao Bang and Hoa Binh provinces were damaged. Meanwhile, nearly 1,000 ha of crops, 64.1 ha of aquaculture and 862 poultry and animals were either inundated or swept away. In the capital city of Hanoi, more than 4,050 ha of crops were inundated. Paintings bring ancient Vietnamese architecture to life Oil paintings featuring unique ancient Vietnamese architecture from across the nation are being exhibited at Văn Miếu–Quốc Tử Giám (Temple of Literature Complex). The exhibition, entitled Kỳ Ẩn Việt Nam (Mysterious Việt Nam), has been organised by the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies in collaboration with the Văn Miếu–Quốc Tử Giám Culture and Science Centre. It is also the first art exhibition to ever be held within the special national relic. It introduces to the public the first 20 artworks of 27-year-old HCMC-based painter Nguyễn Thanh Vũ. The oil paintings of different sizes depict many famous heritages and landscapes from the north to the south of the country, such as Lũng Cú Flag Pole, St Joseph's Cathedral, Báo Thiên Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral in HCM City. Besides familiar architectural works that still exist today, visitors can also see some of Vũ’s more unfamiliar painting or ones that have gone into historical documents like the Lưu Cừ Temple in the southern province of Trà Vinh, that existed during Óc Eo Culture (1st-7th century). The exhibition will conclude on May 30.  Bilingual book nomiated for De Men Award A bilingual book by foreign authors is among the official nominees for the Dế Mèn Awards, honouring works by or for children. The book, entitled Chiếc Dép Thất Lạc (The Lost Sandal), is a picture book for children by Belgian writer Geralda De Vos and Swedish illustrator Sofia Holt. They are living and working in Việt Nam. The book is a story of a girl named Linh who loses one of her favourite sandals and her adventure to reclaim it.  De Vos came to Việt Nam in 2017 and has participated in environmental protection activities such as plastic waste reduction and recycling activities. She has called on people to pick up and return people's lost items. She began picking up lost sandals on the street, which became her inspiration for the book, The Lost Sandal. Illustrator Holt came to HCM City in 2014. She is now working as a fashion and furniture designer, and an illustrator, creating artworks about a happier and more sustainable world. The book can be bought at the publisher’s website and on online shopping platforms. The book was translated into Vietnamese by Kim Ngọc and published by Kim Đồng Publishing House.   Dế Mèn Awards was launched by the Vietnam News Agency’s Thể Thao Văn Hóa (Culture & Sport) newspaper in 2020 aiming at honouring the best works by and for children. The awards will be announced on May 31 in Hà Nội. An auction will be held at the award ceremony to raise funds for schools in the mountainous and remote areas.  The auction items will be a hand-painted Vespa motorcycle by artist Lê Kinh Tài; a Swiss-made watch Ernest Borel GS8380C-221; and paintings and other items of pop-cultural significance by celebrities. Hanoi implements solutions to improve air quality Hà Nội's People's Committee has requested all agencies and sectors to continue implementing drastic, synchronous, and effective solutions to improve air quality. Air pollution nationally is causing harmful effects on people's health, more so in crowded areas like the capital. Overcoming the shortcomings and limitations in the control of air pollution has been deemed an urgent task. Although the authorities in the districts and towns have actively implemented many solutions under the direction of the Hà Nội People's Committee, some tasks have not been completed so there have not been significant improvements seen. The city People's Committee has assigned the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to implement the "Developing a provincial-level air quality management plan" under the guidance of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for 2021-2025 period, which is expected to be completed in 2022. The department will conduct a review of air pollution sources and seek appropriate solutions in terms of policies and technology. Vietnam expects EU to soon remove “yellow card” warning on IUU fishing The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy has taken note of Vietnam’s proposal to soon remove the “yellow card” warning on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son held phone talks with Vice President of the European Commission (EC) and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on May 24 during which, Son affirmed  Vietnam’s recognition of great importance to deepening its relations with the European Union (EU) in the time to come. During the talks, Borrell expressed his confidence that the EU-Vietnam relations will be further strengthened as the EU is actively carrying out a range of policies and initiatives towards the region such as the cooperation strategy with Indo-Pacific and the Global Gateway, with Vietnam among its prioritised cooperation partners. Both sides showed their elation at the positive outcomes following the nearly two-year enforcement of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) despite difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The EU remained Vietnam’s third largest export market and fifth biggest import market. They consented to push up the bilateral cooperation on a par with their potential and better meet interests of both sides by intensifying high-level delegation exchanges, effectively implementing the existing cooperation mechanisms, boosting closer coordination at multilateral forums, stepping up the ASEAN-EU cooperation, and expanding collaboration in energy, climate change response, green transition, digital economy and infrastructure. The EU High Representative took note of Vietnam’s proposal to soon remove the “yellow card” warning on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing for the Southeast Asian nation, and urge EU member countries to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). The Vietnamese diplomat thanked the EU and its member countries for their supply of vaccines and medical equipment to Vietnam in the COVID-19 fight, thus facilitating trade, tourism and economic recovery of both sides in the post-pandemic period. The pair also compared notes on regional and international issues of shared concern. The same day, Son held phone talks with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, during which Minister Bui Thanh Son congratulated Szijjártó Péter on being re-appointed as Hungarian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations for the new term. The two sides  affirmed the importance they place on the Vietnam-Hungary comprehensive partnership as well as progress in the bilateral cooperation over the past time, with the regular exchange of delegations at all levels, including high-level ones. They expressed their delight at the achievements in economic cooperation, with two-way trade crossing US$1 billion last year, and agreed to fully tap their strength and potential and bolster collaboration in an effective and pragmatic manner in the time ahead. Both sides will work hand in hand to make thorough preparations for the 10th meeting of the Vietnam-Hungary Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation in the coming time. Vietnamese students win three medals at EuPhO 2022 Vietnamese students have just won two silver and one bronze medals at the sixth European Physics Olympiad (EuPhO 2022) held in Slovenia. The Ministry of Education and Training sent five outstanding high school students to the contest and three of them took medals. Pham Trung Kien ò Hai Phong city and and Nguyen Tuan Phong of Bac Ninh province won the silver medals, while the bronze medal was awarded to Le Thuy Mai Anh of Quang Ninh province. This is the fourth time Vietnam has taken part in the contest. The EuPhO 2022 was held in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, from May 20-24 with the participation of 182 students from 37 countries and territories worldwide.   Vietnam co-organises debate on water source protection in armed conflicts The Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations co-organised an online debate on May 24 that highlighted the importance of protecting water sources and water supply infrastructure in armed conflicts. The debate, held in coordination with the Swiss, Senegalese and Slovenian missions, UNICEF, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Peace Organisation (PAX), was part of the UN’s Protection of Civilians Week 2022. Addressing the event, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, affirmed the country’s viewpoint that water security is a foundation of peace, stability and development for every country and community. He expressed Vietnam’s concern about the humanitarian impacts and difficulties caused by the destruction of water sources and water supply infrastructure in armed conflicts in many places around the world, including Africa and the Middle East, that have made many people homeless and triggered migration and public health crises. In April 2021, when Vietnam held the presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC), the council adopted Resolution 2573 on the protection of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, including water supply systems. This resolution was co-sponsored by 64 UN member states, including all the 15 UNSC members, thereby affirming the UNSC’s strong commitment to protecting civilians and promoting compliance with international humanitarian law, Giang noted. The diplomat appealed to all parties concerned to improve awareness and promote the implementation of obligations under international humanitarian law. He also recommended the UNSC work out more concrete solutions to challenges posed by water security loss. Vietnam to face Thailand, Indonesia in Asian youth tournaments Vietnam’s U17 and U20 football teams are scheduled to take on their Thai and Indonesian opponents respectively in qualifiers for upcoming international tournaments, according to a draw held by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on May 24. Vietnam will play in Group F alongside Thailand, Chinese Taipei, and Nepal in the qualifiers for the AFC U17 Asian Cup due to be held in Bahrain this October. Elsewhere, in the qualifiers for the AFC U20 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan in September, Vietnam’s U20s will play Indonesia, Hong Kong (China), and Timor Leste in Group F. In both youth tournaments the top 10 teams and five best second-placed teams will progress through to the final round with the host country. The top four teams of each tournament will win a place at the FIFA U17 World Cup and U20 World Cup in 2023. Thanh Hoa plans VND550 billion for residential relocation The northern central province of Thanh Hoa has planned to spend around VND550 billion (USD23.71 million) to relocate households in areas that face high risk of landslides and flash floods. Every rainy season, many areas in Thanh Hoa suffer from landslides and flash floods, particularly Ngam Village in Quan Son District, On Village in Muong Lat District or Lo Village in Quan Hoa District. The province has listed 2,846 at-risk households that need to be urgently relocated. However, the pace of relocation has been sluggish due to limited budgets. From now to 2025, the work will be divided into different stages based on the risk level. As many as 112 households in Ngam, On and Lo villages are expected to be taken to new resettlement areas before this year’s rainy season. However, complicated terrain and the modest budget are seen as major reasons for the slow implementation. In addition to the 2,846 households, another 7,000 are also being considered relocation. CAAV proposes delay in construction of runway, taxiway at Con Dao Airport The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAVV) has proposed a delay in the construction of a runway and taxiway at Con Dao Airport to ensure synchronous implementation of the main works of the upgrading project of the airport on Con Dao Island off Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. According to the plan, the project will upgrade a runway and taxiway, air traffic management and control works, apron, fuel storage facilities, passenger terminal and auxiliary works. Currently, runway and taxiway upgrade has been implemented on schedule. However, there are no detailed plan for the remaining items of the upgrading project. The CAAV has proposed the Ministry of Transport work with the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises (CMCS) to approve the investment project as soon as possible, including items such as the passenger terminal, apron and technology infrastructures at the airport. After being upgraded to serve both military and civil purposes, Con Dao Airport will have a capacity of two million passengers and 4,400 tons of cargo per year, and eight parking places. Dong Nai Province makes effort to conserve wild Asian elephants The Southern Province of Dong Nai has made effort to conserve a herd of wild Asian elephants as it has the largest forest area in the Southeast region with about 172,700 hectares which is home to many rare and precious animals including 20 wild Asian elephants. The number of the herd of Asian elephants in Dong Nai Province discovered through the investigation of the elephant conservation project in the province between 2014 to 2020 is 14. Thanks to relentless efforts to conserve staff in the Dong Nai Forest Protection Department, the herd of Asia's elephants is growing well with about 20 ones. The elephants live mainly in the Cat Tien National Park in Tan Phu District, the Dong Nai Nature-Cultural Conservation Area in Vinh Cuu District, and forest land owned by La Nga Forestry Company in Dinh Quan District. As elephants are known to enjoy maize, sorghum, and other crops. They will cause damage when they enter settlement areas, which can occur when they get caught in fencing or during migratory movements. According to data from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dong Nai Province, from the beginning of 2022 to now, the elephants have appeared 19 times, raiding and destroying fields and crops of local residents in the core zone of the Dong Nai Nature - Culture Conservation Area. They also caused crop destruction in Dinh Quan District. Local forest rangers recommend that inhabitants and authorities should chase them away, and at the same time make statistics of damage so that the People's Committees of districts can promptly have supportive policies. Danang sets up anti-corruption committee The Danang Party Committee’s Executive Board on May 21 made this decision as proposed by the Internal Affairs Board of the Party Committee. The Danang steering committee for prevention and control of corruption and negativism is led by Nguyen Van Quang, Party secretary of Danang. Earlier this month, at the fifth plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said the Party Central Committee had approved the establishment of the provincial anti-corruption committees. Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes